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Thursday, June 5, 2014

Amanda Bearse banned Ed O'Neill from her wedding; he told her two women in tuxedos walking down the church aisle was 'fucking funny!'

Also: One of the USA's biggest Ford dealers, which backs an antigay bible college, got pummeled with $15,000,000 of hail damage Tuesday; the mayor of Omaha suburb La Vista got pummeled by the Internet after he said to atheist, "Take me to fucking court because I don't care. Minorities are not going to run my city."

Last year, Modern Family and Married With Children star Ed O'Neill sat down with the Archive of American Television to give an unusually candid three-hour interview. While it is not AKSARBENT's intent to paint an actor who has an often dark, politically incorrect and irreverent sense of humor as a homophobe (though he has admitted using the word "fag" more than once) — because we don't think he is — we nevertheless can certainly see how he might have rubbed gay actress Amanda Bearse the wrong way, as O'Neill himself admitted. In the second of three videos, O'Neill talked about his relationship with Bearse from 10:20 to 15:10.

I used to upset Christina. Christina thought I had a mean sense of humor... And it probably was, but it was funny... Today Christina is like my actual daughter. We all get along great. The only one I don't get along with, and I don't think I'm the only one, is Amanda [Bearse, who played neighbor Marci]. I'm not sure what happened there, I mean, because it was wonderful for three years. She was great. I don't know whose fault it was. We just sort of grew a bit apart in terms of, I think, maybe I reminded her of someone she didn't like, an uncle or something. I don't know. But we didn't get along that well. I mean, we argued about certain things... I don't know what it was. And she changed a bit. I mean, I have to say that when she started out — she was gay, of course she was gay a long time — ... She was more or less the female in the couple. You know, she was very, very feminine. And cute. And then, as the show — you know, 11 years it went — as it progressed, a change took place where she, then, was the more masculine of the two. You know she had several relationships over that time. And that became kind of interesting because then as she became more masculine, she became a little more snarky, you know, she could grow a tooth, as we used to say. I remember one instance where she was getting married to the more female — a lovely girl, by the way — and the invitations went out and I didn't get one and neither did David Faustino. And now, we weren't arguing. We weren't fighting. And I remember, you know, I said to David, 'Well, everyone got one but you and I' and I think Ron Leavitt [co-creator, with Michael G. Moye, of Married With Children] didn't get one. Everyone else did, and I thought, you know I thought it was funny and at the same time I thought 'This is stupid.' On her part. You know, why would she do this? So I went to her and 'Why?' And she said, 'This was a very tough call, but I just feel that you would find it amusing that me and Becky would come in, in tuxedos, in a church and walk down the aisle and you and David would be snickering and finding it funny.' I said, 'Amanda, what is funny about two women in tuxedos walking down the church aisle?' I started laughing. And she said, 'SEE!' And I said, 'Well, you know why? Because it is fucking funny! And I'm not going to be the only one that doesn't think so!' Well that was it. You know. But, it was funny. She had a little white tux, You it was just, to me, I thought it was funny. So, in other words she may not have been wrong in excluding me. ...Another time we got in a big fight over something. Something stupid. In the makeup room. And she said something about 'You're a bully,' or something and I said 'Well, you're miserable,' and y'know it was a bad — in front of everybody, by the way. And then I said, 'You know, you're not very bright, is your problem — and she WAS bright, but I said — but in a way she wasn't — because I said look — she said 'I'm not bright!' and I could just see her gearing up, like 'I'm smarter than you' — and I said 'No, because I'll tell you why, because I have a button I can push. That button says Get Rid of Amanda Bearse. You don't have a button that says Get Rid of Ed O'Neill. Your button doesn't work. Mine works.' Now, this was a mean thing to say. I never was going to push that button, but IT WAS TRUE. I could go to them and say 'Look I can't work with her. I go or she goes. Who goes?' She goes. So that was kind of bad, you know... And don't think she is in touch with anybody from the show. I think she moved back to Georgia. She's from Georgia; from a moneyed family in Georgia. And I think she runs a — I don't know what she does back there. I think she's remarried again — sort of — she adopted.

22 comments:

I respect Ed O'Neill, given that he's a veteran actor. I've enjoyed him on Married With Children and Modern Family. Of course, I don't know the whole story, or even half of the story behind his presumably contentious relationship with Amanda Bearse, but really! Did he have to insult her? Was that necessary?

The whole show married with children was insulting to women, and men. The humor of vulgarity. It was based on ill mannered behavior which he seems to resemble. People don't have to be friendly and phoney, just polite no matter what or it would make no sense of fair play and it would be unpleasant to live daily. They did their best so it seems. I like both their acting abilities on different levels.

The fact that they didn't get along doesn't surprise me. Lesbians and vulgar men are on different levels of awareness spiritually. Being polite human beings is essential when working together. Being honest is refreshing. All intelligent adults live and let live in real life if you want to stay employed. I admire both of their acting abilities. Degrading any woman is poor judgment and it shows how your parents raised you. Many times men think that it's funny while rude insulting comments show their character.The show certainly was shocking to say the least. Life is serious but that was bizzare comedy.

The whole show married with children was insulting to women, and men. The humor of vulgarity. It was based on ill mannered behavior which he seems to resemble. People don't have to be friendly and phoney, just polite no matter what or it would make no sense of fair play and it would be unpleasant to live daily. They did their best so it seems. I like both their acting abilities on different levels.

For characterizing people who liked everything about the show as vulgar is not very polite. It also shows disrespect to all the people involved in the show. MWC provided many people with hours of fresh and innovative entertainment.

Married was meant to be outlandish, crude, humor. Comedy is seldom politically correct or tasteful if it is truly funny.That show was hugely successful because it was over the top.The fact that Ed is actually a bit like Al is funny to me and makes me appreciate the clever writing even more. He played to his strength......brilliant !

I've seen some interviews of Amanda Bearse. She does have that "I'm better than you" attitude. She's not much different from Marcy. She acts like she was the only one who mattered on the show because not only was she in every episode, she directed many of them. I'm sure she's nice enough, but, it doesn't show in her interviews. Even when they had "best of" episodes and reunions, she talked over everyone or cut them off.

She's the typical lesbian in they have to be pushy and think that people should knuckle under for them. I could really care less that she's lesbian but for some reason gays and lesbians feel that everyone has to kiss their rear end just because of their lifestyle

Maynard (Bob "Gilligan's Island" Denver) slyly flashes a nipple to the CBS eye while trying to talk his best buddy Dobie Gillis (Dwayne Hick­man) into taking off all his clothes. Whoever said 1950s television was a vast waste­land obviously didn't know where to look.